Netflix has released the trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s “The Laundromat,” a dark comedy starring Meryl Streep.
An adaptation of Jake Bernstein’s non-fiction book “Secrecy World,” “The Laundromat” follows a group of journalists who uncover the illicit money networks at the heart of the Panama Papers — documents that exposed a huge international system of legal swindling. Companies had been setting up offshore shell companies that allowed them to avoid paying billions in taxes, and the biggest victims, of course, are ordinary citizens with low incomes.
With a script by Scott Z. Burns, and a cast of heavy-hitters that also includes Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeffrey Wright, Melissa Rauch, Jeff Michalski, Jane Morris, Robert Patrick, David Schwimmer, Cristela Alonzo, Larry Clarke, Will Forte, Chris Parnell, Nonso Anozie, Larry Wilmore, Jessica Allain, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rosalind Chao, Kunjue Li, Ming Lo, with James Cromwell and Sharon Stone.
When her idyllic vacation takes an unthinkable turn, Ellen Martin (Academy Award winner Meryl Streep) begins investigating a fake insurance policy, only to find herself down a rabbit hole of questionable dealings that can be linked to a Panama City law firm and its vested interest in helping the world’s wealthiest citizens amass even larger fortunes. The charming — and very well-dressed — founding partners Jürgen Mossack (Academy Award winner Gary Oldman) and Ramón Fonseca (Golden Globe nominee Antonio Banderas) are experts in the seductive ways shell companies and offshore accounts help the rich and powerful prosper. They are about to show us that Ellen’s predicament only hints at the tax evasion, bribery and other illicit absurdities that the super wealthy indulge in to support the world’s corrupt financial system.
The film will have its world premiere this week at the Venice Film Festival, before going to the Toronto Fest. It will also have a theatrical run before playing on Netflix, and it’s already stirring up awards buzz.
Loading…